


Daryl's World

by Ficslavesue



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Partly Pre s01e01, Swearing, True Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-14
Updated: 2018-01-14
Packaged: 2019-03-04 23:47:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 19,119
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13375632
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ficslavesue/pseuds/Ficslavesue
Summary: Why is Daryl really so grumpy and taciturn? Is it from his awful upbringing, or is it something else? Rick and the rest of the family have accepted him as he is, but feel they barely know him and want to know more. A deeper look into the Daryl we know and love.





	Daryl's World

A/N: I really don’t know where this came from! I had intended a smutty little one-shot, but ended up with this beast! Huh! Well, I hope you enjoy it, and I’ll try to get to the smutty one-shot another time lol. If you have me on alert and were expecting a Daryl’s Turn update, sorry! But don’t worry, I’ll be back on it now!

 

Rick sighed with relief as he spotted Daryl coming out of the woods, a doe over his shoulders. What he and the family would do without Daryl was beyond him. Since he’d stepped back from making runs and worked to build a garden in the prison grounds, to try and provide some food for the family, Daryl was bringing in the lion’s share of food, whether it was through hunting or scavenging runs. Daryl was a true provider and just seemed to be made for this world. Without him, despite the group’s ever developing skills to survive in this world, they’d be lost. How quickly people now came to readjust their initial assessment of Daryl once they got to know him. Most automatically assumed he would be good for nothing as his redneck persona seemed to scream, but the man worked harder than anyone he’d ever met to keep them all fed, safe and in comfort, as much as was possible in a prison cell. The Woodburians they’d taken in were a prime example. Initially they’d steered well clear of the taciturn redneck, but once they’d realised Daryl was the man feeding them, they couldn’t stop thanking him and trying to talk to him, much to Daryl’s consternation.

Daryl was not exactly an easy man to get to know. A short sentence or two a day was considered Daryl in a talkative mood. He was grumpy and abrasive with everyone, and his body language screamed “back off” in every way. He refused all advances of friendship from those outside the family with growls and snaps, much like a bad-tempered dog. Rick knew that even though he and Carol were allowed to occasionally touch the man in passing, it was accepted with gritted teeth and reluctance. He accepted their company, but got annoyed if they talked too much to him. He preferred to communicate with nods, gestures and if needs be, the occasional grunt.

But Rick knew there was a softer side to Daryl he didn’t often share. Daryl had been the one to take care of Judith when Rick wasn’t able to, getting her what she needed and feeding her, her first bottle. He still readily fed the baby girl, and changed diapers with no complaint when it was called for, and often plucked her crying from other’s arms to soothe her in his own gruff way. It seemed to work for Judith though, even though he kept his stern expression the whole time. Except that is, for when Daryl though there was no one else around. Rick had caught Daryl three times now cooing to the baby in soft tones to soothe her when Daryl was unaware he was being watched. Usually late at night, when everyone else was asleep.

Just the night before Judith had just started to stir in her makeshift crib next to his bed, when Rick sensed Daryl, silent as a whisper, slide into his cell and scoop the baby up. He moved swiftly to the rec area with her and the sounds of a bottle being shaken up quickly followed. Rick sat up, intending to go and rescue Daryl. Now that he was capable of taking care of his daughter, the hunter shouldn’t have to do so much babysitting duty on top of all his other chores. But as Rick went to follow the pair, he heard Daryl speak to the baby in hushed tones.

“Shh, shh babygirl” he whispered. “Food’s comin’ angel”. Rick’s eyebrows rose in surprise, listening to Daryl. He’d never have believed he’d hear actual endearments coming out of the surly man’s mouth. “There! That’s it, lil’ asskicker. You drink that up good. Gon’ make you big n strong. You gon’ fight off a hundred walkers a’ once when you get big lil’ one”. Daryl continued to talk to Judith through her whole feed the same way and Rick had never heard the man speak so much since he’d met him. “Good girl!” he eventually praised. “You drank it all up for Uncle Daryl. Let’s see if ya need ta’ burp”. Sounds of Daryl patting the baby on the back, followed by a soft belch reached Rick’s ears and he smiled when Daryl praised her again. “Tha’s it babygirl. You git that wind out a’ ya. You got more for me darlin’?” 

Rick smiled in wonderment listening to Daryl taking care of his daughter, making sure she was clear of wind before changing her diaper, even praising her for the mess she’d made in it. He shook his head. He’d known from the way Daryl had nearly killed himself searching for Sophia that the guy liked kids, but he could never have guessed at the extent the man seemed to turn to putty around a baby.

Daryl appeared at Rick’s cell door then and swiftly lay a now drowsy Judith back in her crib, his ever-present frown still in place on his face.

“Thanks, Daryl” whispered Rick.

Daryl shrugged “Ain’t nothin’” he said gruffly, and disappeared just as silently as he’d arrived. He acted as though it was nothing special that he’d swooped in to feed and change the other man’s baby daughter in the middle of the night. Just another chore that needed taking care of. He acted unaffected, but Rick had overheard Daryl’s sweet talk to the baby and noticed the brief caress of Daryl’s thumb on Judith’s forehead as he laid her down.

Rick smirked again as he watched Daryl walk through the gates, opened by Maggie, clearly refusing help with the weight of the doe, and shrugging off what was the woman’s obvious delight in his catch. Daryl was possibly the moodiest, most abrasive man he’d ever met, aside from perhaps his brother Merle, but he was a definite marshmallow around Judith, whether he wanted to admit it or not. Rick’s smirk dropped as he came to the realisation that even though he considered Daryl his brother, and trusted him with his and his family’s lives, he barely knew the man. Oh, he knew his father had abused him as a kid. You couldn’t miss those scars and Rick had dealt with enough abuse cases as a Deputy to recognise the signs. And he knew his brother was your stereotypical racist, violent, drugged out prick of a redneck, but of Daryl himself? He knew very little. He’d gathered from lack of comments about their mother from either brother that she wasn’t around growing up, but he had no idea what had happened to her.

He knew the man was a hunter and was good at fixing engines, but what did he do for a living before the dead started walking? What football team did he support, or was he more of a baseball guy? Hell, for all Rick knew, Daryl could have been through his precinct on a number of violations and spent most of his life in jail. He shrugged. What did it matter now? He knew Daryl was a decent guy. He was moody with a short fuse, but he looked after his people with single-minded intent and had saved his and everyone else’s asses too many times to count. Despite knowing very little about the man himself, Rick trusted him implicitly. 

But he was still curious.

With that in mind he followed Daryl to the area they used for dressing game to find the hunter already elbow deep in guts and gore as he removed the deer’s organs.

“Hey Daryl, thanks for this” said Rick, gesturing to the doe. “Want some help?” he asked.

Daryl shrugged without looking around. “’M good” he replied, refusing both the praise and the help.

“You sure? Seems only fair since you caught and carried it, that someone help with dressing it?”

“I got it!” snapped Daryl.

Rick held his hands up in surrender “Okay man, well thanks”. He paused for a moment, unsure of how to continue, or even if he should. In all likelihood, Daryl could lose his temper and start throwing doe parts at him for his trouble. “I guess back in the day, you might’ve at least got a cold beer to drink with your huntin’ buddies as you cleaned your catch”. Rick shrugged “Sorry we ain’t got any”. Rick trailed off, hoping Daryl might for once pick up the other half of the conversation and let him in, but the other man barely even spared him a brief glare over his shoulder.

“Right” said Rick, unsurprised but still a little saddened that Daryl wouldn’t let him in. He still felt partially responsible for the loss of Merle. But who could have known that Merle would find some long-awaited sense of morality and protectiveness over his little brother, letting Michonne go free and taking off after the Governor alone. Despite the shit way he’d treated him all his life, Merle was probably the one man in the world who’d actually known Daryl. Who Daryl maybe could have talked to. He wanted Daryl to feel the same about him, to consider him family enough to talk to. Who could get through this life without anyone to talk to? He knew Daryl and Carol were close, but it didn’t seem that he talked to her either.

Daryl rolled his eyes and huffed, feeling Rick was still behind him in the room. Could the man not just let him get on with his job? Why’s it always gotta be questions and feelin’s with this lot? He kept ‘em fed. Wasn’t that enough for them? No! It was always nag, nag, nag. What was so good ‘bout talkin’ anyway? All it did was bring up stuff he’d be better off forgettin’. He was glad Rick was in his right mind again. Poor bastard, losing Lori that way. Well, it weren’t no surprise he went off his rocker for a while. Even if she was the shittiest wife ever. Rick was usually one of the better ones in the group. Could sometimes keep company without runnin’ his mouth all the damn time. He appreciated that. The silence. Growing up with constant verbal abuse and commentary from both his Pa and Merle, he liked to keep company with people who didn’t need to hear the sound of their own voice all the hours of the day. If he wanted company at all that was. Daryl had learned very early in his life to keep his mouth shut, that no one wanted to hear what he had to say. Well, no one except… Daryl shut that train of thought down with a violent mental slam and he threw another irritated glare at Rick. See, talkin’ just started people thinkin’ about shit they didn’t need ta be thinkin’!

“Ain’t ya got farmin’ ta do?” he growled at Rick.

Rick looked only momentarily taken aback by the ire suddenly directed at him, used to Daryl’s sudden mood swings, but then he frowned as he considered the man’s actual words. Was Daryl pissed at him for taking a step back from leading? From doing runs? There was no denying that it had put more work on to the other man, but he thought he’d understood why he was doing it? Partly to try and role model something other than killing to Carl, partly to give him a chance to recover from his breakdown after Lori died. “Daryl?” he began. “Ya get why I…?”

Daryl huffed. “I get it, Rick!” he snapped. “Ya doin’ it for Carl. Can a man get some peace?” 

Rick sighed, relieved that Daryl understood his reasons. “Sure Daryl” he said, and left him to his work. Sometimes Daryl was in the right mood and Rick would be able to get a small sliver of information or conversation out of him, but today was clearly not one of those days. He’d try again another time. And he really did have farming that needed tending to. Hershel would no doubt be nagging him for one thing or another before long.

Daryl huffed again after Rick left. Finally, some peace and quiet. He let himself drift away into the mindless task of skinning the doe, trying to switch off his thoughts. He tried not to feel bad for snapping at Rick, but he didn’t want to be reminded of the old world. The world was what it was now, and it was no use dwelling on the past. It wouldn’t solve anything. It wouldn’t make things better. Some memories could even make things worse. A flash of blue eyes blazing at him forced its way into his thoughts and he brutally crushed it. No! He scowled, his fists clenching until his short nails bit into the palms of his hands. Think about the goddamn deer and only the deer.

The pain worked as it always did and helped him to refocus on the task in front of him. He didn’t allow his thoughts to stray again. Sometimes his brain would catch him unawares, but he knew how to lock that shit down. His dreams were not so easy to avoid though, so when they came, he usually just got up to patrol instead, or like he had last night, he put his attention on Judith when he could. He found spending time with Judith to be the most peaceful time he could get these days, as much as he didn’t want to admit it. It was so restful, being with that little girl, that he could almost survive without all the sleep he missed out on. That little girl needed people more than anyone else in the family, or with the Woodbury lot combined, but giving her what she needed was easier than breathing.

He frowned as he contemplated lil’ Asskicker. Baby was goin’ to need new clothes soon. She was growin’ like a weed. She was alright for formula and bottles for now, but that box for a bed just wouldn’t do. She needed a proper crib, and soft blankets. A baby shouldn’t be wrapped in prison blankets. It just weren’t right. And kids needed toys too. A stuffed bear or some shit to cuddle up to at night. As Daryl finished up with the deer he made plans for a run out the following day to a strip mall not too far away. There had to be a baby store there. Not much call for baby stuff in the apocalypse, sad to say. It should have plenty of stuff left to scavenge. He’d need a car, so no doubt he’d have to take someone with him too. He only got away with going alone when he took his bike. Glenn was an okay guy to do a run with. Easy enough to intimidate into shutting the hell up at least and fast on his feet. He’d ask him before anyone else tried to volunteer.

After his usual night of sleeping for a couple of hours before the dreams started plaguing him, he ended up patrolling the perimeter for the rest of the night for lack of anything better to do. Consequently, when it was time to go, it took him a fraction of a second that the person waiting for him in the driver’s seat was Rick. Shit. There went his quiet run if Rick was in a talkative mood still.

“Where d’ya think you’re goin’?” he growled.

Rick shot him a raised eyebrow “Going baby shopping” he stated. “For my baby” he emphasised.

Well Daryl couldn’t really argue with that, much as he wanted to, so he grunted and slumped down in his seat, putting his feet up on the dash. If he were honest, he’d missed doing runs with Rick. When he wasn’t being a fuckin’ nosy, chatty cathy, they had a good silent language of nods and gestures that Daryl truly appreciated. They worked well together in this world, better than he n’ Merle had even.

Rick turned the engine on and then Michonne slid smoothly into the back seat. Daryl huffed. Great, this could go either way. Either they’d be silent and focused, or chattin’ up a storm. At least with two of ‘em, they could damn well talk to each other and leave him the hell alone!

As soon as they pulled out of the gates, Daryl caught Rick’s glance over at him before he reached for the centre console.

“Don’t” growled Daryl.

Rick grinned and pressed play on the CD player, filling the car with an upbeat tune Daryl had never heard before. Probably because he didn’t listen to Fuckin’ Shit Radio 108 fm. He groaned as Rick began to click his fingers to the beat, but when Michonne chuckled then began to sing the lyrics, Daryl had enough. Quick as lightening he ejected the CD and threw it out of the window.

“’Nough of that shit” he growled.

Rick shot a look at the rear-view mirror to Michonne and the pair started laughing like a couple of fuckin’ hyenas. 

“I don’t think Daryl likes Black Eyed Peas, ‘Chonne!” laughed Rick. 

Michonne chuckled “I guess not. Maybe we should sing without the CD?”

Daryl knew they were just messing with him and glared over at Rick without comment, making Rick laugh again.

“Maybe not ‘Chonne. If looks could kill…” he grinned.

The drive was relatively smooth. Not too many walkers en route, the roads mostly clear. They had to divert their route only once due to a tree in the road, but it only delayed them a half hour. A couple of hours later they pulled over just before the crest of a hill, at the base of which was the strip mall. They got out and walked to the crest to look down on the strip mall with binoculars. 

“Walkers” noted Michonne.

“Not too many” replied Rick. “We can drive passed them, out the other side of the strip and they’ll follow. We then circle back round on that service road and back in this end”.

Daryl nodded. “Let’s do it” he said gruffly.

Their plan went off without a hitch, so that when they came back through the strip, there were no walkers in sight. 

They pulled up in front of the baby store and banged on the door to draw out any walkers inside, but none appeared. They used a crowbar to open the formerly electronic sliding doors, sliding inside with their weapons at the ready, aimed in all directions as they formed a circle of three, a back to back, impenetrable wall. They cleared the store quickly, seeing some evidence of looting, but no current walkers. They relaxed but stayed alert as they began to search what they needed, Michonne grabbing a shopping cart. She and Daryl began to pile useful items in the cart, medicines, spare bottles, diapers, rash creams and teething gel, while Rick looked for a crib and a car seat. 

Daryl walked off towards the blanket section where the floor to ceiling shelves were full of blankets in a rainbow of pastel colours. It wasn’t only lil’ asskicker that could make use of new blankets, so he made a mental note to get as many as they could fit in the car today, but come back for the rest. They’d all be needing more blankets come winter. As he drew closer the tracker in him noted something off about the shelves in the green blanket section. A partial footprint, on a shelf at his head height. Immediately he brought the crossbow up, ready to fire as he looked up at the ceiling. He could see nothing wrong with the ceiling tiles in the suspended ceiling, but clearly someone had been climbing the shelves. He whistled quietly to get Rick and Michonne’s attention and motioned up to the ceiling.

They joined him quietly, weapons at the ready. “Someone up there?” whispered Rick. Daryl nodded and pointed out the footprint. 

“Print’s still wet” he replied.

Rick nodded and raised an eyebrow to ask Daryl’s opinion on how to proceed.

Daryl shrugged “They’re hidin’ from us. Doubt they’ll come out shootin’ now”.

Michonne nodded “So either grab the stuff we need and go, or see who they are and if they need help”.

Rick nodded in agreement. People that hid were generally more scared of them. But scared people could still be dangerous, so he kept his Colt drawn and ready. “Hello?” he called out. “My name’s Rick Grimes. We’re not here to hurt you. We know you’re up there. We might be able to help you?”

There was no response.

“This a waste a’ time, Rick. We need to get back with this stuff before dark”.

“Wait a minute Daryl. Let them think it over”.

Daryl huffed “Don’ let ‘em think too long. They might decide ta shoot us anyway”.

There was a sudden scrabbling sound above them and a ceiling tile lifted slightly and a muffled voice called out shakily “Daryl? Daryl Dixon?”

The trio looked at each other in surprise and Daryl called up.

“Yeah, who’s that?”

“Daryl! Oh my God!” whimpered the voice. “Wait, just wait, I’m coming!”

The tile lifted up and out of the way as a pair of booted feet and jean clad legs dropped out of the hole.

“Woah! Slowly!” ordered Rick “How many of you up there?” he asked as he aimed at the figure who was dropping down quickly on to the shelves and began to climb down.

Daryl grabbed Rick’s arm, forcing him to lower his Colt “Rick, wait!” he whispered, his voice strangled, and Rick looked at him in surprise. Normally Daryl was the last to lower his guard. He must recognise this person.

Daryl gaped at the woman, for it was now clear it was a woman who was climbing down the shelves, with a generously curved ass and long wavy blond hair tied back in a pony tail.

She clambered down the shelves as fast as she could “Daryl? Is it really you?”

Daryl swallowed hard and dropped his crossbow on the ground, striding toward the woman in two large steps. “Dani?!” he gasped. The woman had almost reached his level and turned to look at him, losing her grasp on the shelves as she did. She slipped but fell seemingly without fear the last couple of foot as if knowing Daryl would catch her, and he did.

He stood her on her feet but didn’t release her from his grasp, gaping at her as if he’d seen a ghost.

“Holy shit! Daryl!” gasped the woman before throwing herself at him and burying her face in his neck, squeezing him tight to her.

Daryl seemed to be in shock “But… ya died!” he finally gasped. “Merle said…”

The woman pulled back to look up at Daryl with a frown “Merle told ya I died?” she asked softly, tears beginning to fall down her face.

Daryl nodded dumbly and stroked the tears from her face. “Are ya real?” he asked raspily. He shot a look to Rick and Michonne who were watching with rapt interest. “Y’ can see her, right?” he asked, a little wild eyed and something clicked in in recognition in both of them, for both had seen their loved ones after they’d died. Clearly Daryl had some experience with this too and was checking the woman in his arms wasn’t an apparition.

Rick nodded and cleared his throat “We see her, Daryl” he replied, understanding that whoever this woman was to Daryl, she was very important.

Daryl turned his attention back to the woman in his arms and he began touching her hair and stroking down her body. He pulled her in tight against him, feeling her curves slot into place like a puzzle piece against his body, just like she always had. His eyes welled with tears and a couple tracked down his cheeks. “Fuck, Dani, is it really you? Am I really holding you this time?” he whispered.

“It’s me” sobbed the woman, Dani. She wiped his tears away and leaned up to kiss Daryl gently on the lips. Daryl gasped and pulled back staring at her wildly, before a dam broke and he crushed her to him moaning and sobbing her name.

“God Dani, it’s really you! Oh God I thought you were dead darlin’. Where were you? I tried ta find ya at the hospital, an’ Merle said he saw ya as a walker and had ta put ya down. I believed ‘im! I wanted to see, but we got cut off by walkers. Baby, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry!” he sobbed. He pressed kisses into Dani’s neck, working his way up to her mouth, where they then devoured each other with deep, drugging kisses, wet with their emotional tears.

Rick and Michonne glanced at each other, their mouths open. Daryl had a woman before the world ended?! Daryl had shown absolutely zero interest in the opposite, or same, sex since they’d known him. He’d avoided discussions on the subject like the plague, and avoided couples even harder. They’d practically considered him asexual. He’d never mentioned a woman, but then he’d never speak about his life before at all. Well, in all honesty, Daryl wasn’t known for speaking much about anything!

“Oh my god!” whispered Michonne in sudden understanding of Daryl’s behaviour to date, her eyes uncharacteristically welling with tears. “He’s been grieving this whole time”.

“Christ!” whispered Rick, the realisation mentally adjusting every interaction he’d ever had with the man with the new knowledge. “That’s why he wouldn’t talk to us”.

They watched in awe as Daryl pulled back from the kiss and stared down at Dani with the biggest smile they’d ever seen on their hunter. “I can’t believe it’s you” he babbled, yes, actually babbled. “I seen ya so many times in my head, but I could never touch ya before. I’d reach for ya and ya’d be gone. I couldn’t catch ya! An’ I can touch ya now! Y’ really here! Y’ really alive?”

Dani nodded, smiling through her tears “I’m here baby. I’m really here” she said, and Daryl shuddered against her. He pulled her up into his arms again, lifting her off her feet and slowly spun around, her feet dangling off the floor until she wrapped her legs around him. He pulled back to kiss her all over her face.

“I missed ya” he moaned between kisses. “So much. I couldn’t breathe without ya. Couldn’t breathe”.

Dani nodded “I know baby, I know, me too. I hoped you were alive, but I didn’t know how to find you”.

“Are you okay? How did you survive this long? Do you have a group?” he asked and glanced up at the ceiling. Dani gasped following his gaze.

“Oh god!” she moaned again. She struggled out of his arms, as he was unwilling to release her. “Just wait baby, please?” she asked. Daryl let her go reluctantly with a nod and watched puzzled as she scrambled back up the shelves.

After a few moments, she began to climb back down, this time much slower and with more care. As she lowered herself, Daryl moaned in realisation, noting the straps around her back and what they meant she carried. His eyes filled with tears and his legs gave out, dropping him hard onto his knees. When Dani reached the ground she turned to Daryl, a baby in a papoose strapped to her chest. Daryl pulled them into his arms, kissing both Dani and the baby almost frantically.

“I never dreamed…” he choked on a sob. “I never even dreamed… How did ya manage?”

Dani nodded in understanding, and said softly “Our baby, Daryl. We both survived”.

Tears streaming down his face, Daryl beamed at Dani and their baby. God their baby! “Can I?” he asked and Dani grinned, unfastening the papoose and placing the baby in Daryl’s arms. “Hello lil’ darlin’” he cooed with a grin and the infant stared up at him in fascination, a tiny fist reaching up to play with Daryl’s sparse beard.

“Her name’s Rosie” said Dani softly. “Like we talked about and she’s almost a year old already”.

Daryl’s face streamed with tears over his smile and he impatiently wiped them away. “Rosie Dixon. Oh, Dani baby, she’s beautiful. She’s so beautiful, just like her Mama”. He kissed Rosie’s wispy blonde hair and then Dani’s lips fiercely. “How did ya do it?” he asked in wonder. “Did ya give birth alone? How did you keep both of ya alive so long?” 

Dani sniffled and smiled “Lots of hiding and being smart. What would Daryl do? That was our motto”.

Daryl snorted and kissed her again before looking over at Rick and Michonne, who looked utterly shell shocked. He motioned them over with a jerk of his head and the biggest smile they’d ever seen him wear.

“Rick, ‘Chonne. Come ‘ere”.

Dani shot a worried look at the pair and Daryl gave her a reassuring kiss. “They’re family now” he told her. “Good people” and she nodded in understanding giving them a tentative smile.

Daryl rose to his feet still holding Rosie securely and wrapped his arm around Dani too. “Rick, ‘Chonne, this is Dani, my wife, and our daughter, Rosie”.

Rick and Michonne grinned and couldn’t help but to hug Daryl around his family, placing kisses on his head and cheek respectively, they were so thrilled for him. All this time they had assumed he was a moody, rough and mannerless redneck who had little to say, and who was likely horribly emotionally damaged from his abusive childhood. Turns out that while some of that may be true, their friend and brother had actually been grieving in agonised silence this whole time. All this time, he’d been working his ass off to provide and care for them all, while devastated at the loss of his own wife and unborn child.

“Daryl, I…” Rick shook his head in wonderment, speechless for what his friend had been silently going through while they all badly misunderstood him. “I’m so happy for you, brother” he finally said, kissing him again on the forehead as Daryl ducked his gaze with a small smile and blushed. Rick reached out to stroke Rosie’s hair, then grasped Dani’s hand and gave her a wide smile. “I could not be happier to meet you both” he said sincerely. 

Michonne agreed and then glanced at her watch “I’m sorry to break this up guys, but we need to get on the road with this stuff fast if we’re going to get back before dark”. She looked at Dani “You are coming with us, right?” she asked.

Dani grinned “Of course!” she agreed. She turned to Daryl and kissed him briefly. “I am never letting you out of my sight again” she said to him, fiercely.

Daryl grinned “Fine by me!” he said and kissed her back. He glanced up at the ceiling “It’s just the two of ya right? No one else? Weren’t twins or nothin’?”

Dani giggled. “Just us. We’ve been camping out here for a couple of months now. The strip was pretty much clear of walkers and people til just this morning. A small herd rolled through, then I heard a car - your car apparently - so I hot – footed it up to our den”.

“Left tracks baby” said Daryl, pointing out her foot print on the shelf.

“Shit!” huffed Dani. “You taught me better than that. In my defence, only a tracker might have noticed it?”

“Right now, I couldn’t be happier that ya left a track, baby” he said and kissed the top of her head. A small shudder ran through him as he realised he could have left the store without ever knowing his family were right here. He looked up again “I guess you got stuff up there? I’ll run up and grab it”.

He packed up Dani and Rosie’s meagre belongings and brought them back down to the shop floor to add to the final items the others had picked up to take back to the prison.

“I take it there’s a baby back at your base?” asked Dani.

“My girl, Judith” answered Rick with a smile. “She’s just six months old”.

Dani grinned and awed at the proud Papa moment. Despite his brief smiles, Rick looked intimidating as all hell with that fierce gaze, massive gun and swaggered walk. It was a relief to see more evidence, other than his obvious care of Daryl, that he had a soft side.

They loaded up the car quickly, having to pack the stuff in tight now they had two additional passengers. Daryl insisted Rosie be in a car seat, especially since she was falling asleep, but suggested Dani ride on his lap, then blushed when he realised his unintentional innuendo. The others chuckled at him, but made no comment to embarrass him further.

Dani happily snuggled onto Daryl’s lap in the back seat of the car and he kept his arms firmly wrapped around her, nuzzling her skin and breathing her scent in.

“Ya smell the same” he murmured against her skin. 

Dani snorted “I stink, Daryl!” she laughed. “Not a lot of showers about in the apocalypse”.

“Ya smell amazin’ to me, darlin’”.

Michonne chuckled and turned back in the passenger seat to look at the couple. “Daryl Dixon, Lady’s Man” she laughed “I never would’ve believed it”.

Daryl blushed “Ain’t no Lady’s Man. Only one lady for me”.

“You better be talkin’ about me!” teased Dani.

Daryl smirked and kissed her “Always” he said.

“How long have you two been together?” asked Rick, glancing in the rear-view mirror.

“Forever” grinned Daryl, and Dani chuckled.

“Seems like always. We were best friends as kids, right from kindergarten. When Daryl was in school anyway. And then later he used to come over and we would play in the woods where our Daddy’s wouldn’t catch us. First day of kindergarten Daryl protected me from a big kid who was pickin’ on me and got shoved in the dirt for his troubles. I loved him straight away and he loved me back”.

Daryl nodded, blushing again “Well except for that cootie stage ya went through anyway” he smirked and nuzzled her cheek with his nose.

Dani giggled and slapped him “I never had cooties and you know it. And you’d have still loved me even if I had ‘em”.

Daryl smiled softly and whispered in her ear “Always loved ya, even with cooties”.

Dani smiled and kissed him softly.

Michonne smirked and shook her head at the difference in the hunter. “Daryl, I think I’ve heard you say more and seen you smile more in the last couple of hours than you have since I’ve known you!”

“Me too!” chimed in Rick. “It’s nice to see”.

Daryl shrugged and pressed a kiss to Dani’s temple. “Hard ta talk when ya can’t breathe for losin’ everythin’ that meant somethin’” he said in the most startlingly open and honest comment either Rick or Michonne had ever heard from him.

Rick nodded solemnly, and Daryl reached forward to clasp his shoulder in solidarity.

“I sorry I couldn’t tell ya when ya lost Lori, Rick” he apologised. He glanced at Dani, then down, ashamed. “I never told ‘em about ya. I couldn’t. I couldn’t talk about ya and survive at the same time”.

Dani put her hand on Daryl’s cheek “Hey, it’s okay, I understand” she said, softly. Rick reached back and patted Daryl’s hand where it lay on his shoulder.

“I get it too, brother” he said. There was no need to say more. Daryl had stood up for Rick and took care of his kids when he was losing his mind over losing Lori, and now Rick truly understood why. If anyone could have understood, it would have been Daryl at the time who had believed he’d lost everything.

“Why in the hell did Merle tell you Dani was dead?” asked Rick. “How could he be so cruel?”

Daryl shook his head and frowned. “I don’t know. I guess he didn’t wan’ me to spend the rest of my life searching when in his eyes, it was mos’ likely that you was already gone” he said to Dani. “Or, he was bein’ his usual selfish prick self an’ just wanted us ta get outta town, fast”. Fury flashed through his eyes at the thought of his brother’s deception. Dani had had to survive alone all this time, she’d had to have Rosie alone and keep her safe all alone because his selfish prick of a brother didn’t want to help him look any more. He growled “I swear ta God Merle, if ya weren’t already dead I’d be beatin’ ya ass right fuckin’ now”.

“Merle’s dead?” asked Dani, softly. She understood the brother’s complicated relationship better than most. Despite his anger at Merle for his lies, and for their history together, he was still the only brother he had, and the loss would’ve devastated him.

Daryl nodded and huffed. “First decent thing he ever fuckin’ did”.

“Daryl!” exclaimed Dani, shocked. “You don’t mean that!”

Daryl frowned and shook his head “Didn’t mean it like that. He got killed tryin’ to save us from this other asshole with an army. First unselfish thing he ever did, and it got ‘im killed”.

“He loved ya, in his own way” Dani said, softly.

Daryl nodded “Yeah. Had a real fucked up way of showin’ it though”.

Dani kissed Daryl gently in comfort. “He didn’t know how to. Y’ Dad saw to that. But he was always jealous o’ the time you spent with me”.

“Used to call me pussy and fag, and all sorts for hangin’ out with a girl”.

Dani nodded and shrugged “He wanted ya to himself”.

Daryl snorted in disbelief, but sighed knowing there was an element of truth to Dani’s comment. It didn’t override the anger at what he’d told him about Dani though. He fell silent, resting his head on Dani and gently caressing her side as he remembered the day his world ended.

 

..............................................................................  
The pair had been on a hunting trip overnight deep in the woods when they’d come across their first walker. Merle tried fighting it hand to hand at first when it kept coming for them. Daryl shot a bolt through its chest when it looked like it was about to take a bite out of his brother, but the damn thing just kept coming at them. It wasn’t until Merle blasted it in the head with a shotgun that it finally stopped moving.

“Baby brother” gasped Merle, panting from the exertion of the fight. “Tell me I’m high and that was not a fuckin’ zombie ass motherfucker?”.

Daryl rolled the thing over and pulled his arrow free of it, wiping the mess off on its clothes. “I don’t believe in zombies, but if I had ta put a name to that thing. Zombie seems ‘bout right”.

“Well shit. We shoulda kept it alive and sold it to a fuckin’ circus or some shit! Ya reckon we could still make some money off it? Science research or somethin’?”

Daryl shrugged “Worth a try. Better get back n’ see what’s ta be done ‘bout this. Leave it, we can come back for it if it’s worth somethin’”.

“Y’ jus’ wanna get back to y’ piece of ass” smirked Merle.

Daryl tried not to rise to the bait. Merle had been trying to push his buttons for years over Dani. He refused to let him get to him like that if he could help it. “Need ta get back to ma pregnant wife, brother. Make sure there ain’t any more of these freaks around!” he said, kicking the corpse in front of him.

“If there’s more, we should stay in the woods, away from the human population don’t ya think? Safest place ta be”.

Daryl nodded “Maybe” he conceded “But I got ta get Dani out too if that’s the case. She’s carryin’ my baby too”.

Merle snorted “No little slut who lets a Dixon git her with a baby is smart ‘nough to be saved”.

Daryl gritted his teeth and set off back towards civilisation, desperately trying not to let Merle rile him. He didn’t know what the hell that freak thing was, but if Merle was right and there was more of them, then Dani worked in the worst place possible, and getting into a fight with Merle would only delay their return.

He’d been so proud of her when she finally passed her last nurses exam. It had been a long hard haul where he’d worked his ass off to support her while she was in school. He’d trained as a mechanic and did any other job on the side he could fit in. His girl had a dream and he was determined to help her realise it. She came from almost as poor roots as himself, but she was book smart. Way smarter than him – although she would argue that when he actually went to school, he was just as smart as she was. He just had to turn up more than once in a while. They couldn’t afford no Ivy League colleges for her, but Dani’s dream was nursing ever since her Mama had got sick and the nurses were so good to her. And nursing school they could just about do, so although it was so many hours of work and study, and they barely saw each other for weeks at a time more than in passing, they got through it. When Daryl had proposed to Dani right out of high school and she’d enthusiastically accepted, he’d sworn that he’d never hold her back like a typical Dixon, and he hadn’t. He’d worked flat out to make sure she got where she wanted. He was beyond proud of his wife and nothing Merle ever said could taint that.

Now however, he was worried. If there were more of those freaks, then a hospital was probably the worst place in the world to be. He moved as fast as possible back through the woods, ignoring Merle on his heels bitching and berating him for whatever passed through his tiny mind at the time. He had to get back to Dani. He had to see if she was okay. And the baby. She was four months pregnant now. Daryl was still terrified that he could turn out to be anything resembling his own father, but the pregnancy was planned, despite whatever shit Merle spewed out. Dani had convinced him that between the two of them, they could raise a kid right. He weren’t so sure about his own skills, but with Dani as a Mama, any kid would turn out just fine.

As they reached the edge of town, they emerged from the woods cautiously. They climbed into Daryl’s pickup and just as they started the engine, another of those things started shambling towards them. A female this time, looked like an older lady, but with her throat all ripped out and her clothes covered in blood. Daryl noticed her eyes had a milky film over them, dead eyes.

“Fuck! Go!” yelled Merle as the woman neared his side of the truck. Daryl put his foot down and they shot off towards town. The closer they got to the built-up part of town, the more of the freaks they saw stumbling around and attacking people. Groups of them pulling screaming people down and ripping them apart, eating them.

“Jesus! Jesus, fuck!” swore Daryl, swerving to avoid two freaks who were busy eating what he thought was a dog in the middle of the road.

“Brother, we got to get out of town! We ain’t gonna fuckin’ find her in this!” growled Merle, an edge of panic in his voice.

“I ain’t leavin’ her behind Merle. It ain’t happenin’ so just shut the fuck up. I’ll try our house first, maybe she didn’t go in this morning if it was like this everywhere. She might be holed up there waitin’ for me”.

“Fuck Daryl, if I get eaten coz a that bitch, I’m a come back an’ eat the pair o’ you first!”

“Call her another name, one more fuckin’ name, Merle and you can get the FUCK out o’ my truck and walk your slow ass back to the woods!”

“Chill lil’ bro! Don’ give ya’self a goddamn heart attack!”

Daryl gritted his teeth and carried on driving, concentrating hard to avoid hitting anyone or anything. Finally, he pulled into their trailer park. They had a nice trailer, a double wide. Dani had done it up nice inside and Daryl had put a little fence and planted some flowers outside to make it nice for her there too. It was nice, but they were saving hard to get a proper house for them before the baby came. They were so close to achieving their dream, but it looked like the world wasn’t going to let them carry out their plans. He pulled to a sliding stop in front of their trailer and taking his hunting knife out of its sheath for protection, he leapt from the truck, over the little fence and up the steps to the trailer. He fumbled with his key for a minute, looking around and noting Merle was actually standing and keeping guard behind him, thank god. He threw open the door finally and burst inside their home. “Dani!” he yelled. “Baby, where are ya?” It didn’t take long to run frantically around the trailer and discover she wasn’t there. He grabbed a couple of holdalls and threw what he could in them. One of food and the other clothes and weapons. It took less than two minutes, but then Merle whistled. Clearly, they had company.

“Fuck!” hissed Merle. “Now, Darleena! I think these things are drawn by sound and shit that moves!”

Daryl jumped down the stairs, slamming the door behind him and watching the five things stumbling quickly towards them as they climbed in the truck. Daryl pulled away fast and caught one with the corner of his car, sending it sprawling. “Fuck!” he exclaimed as he watched the thing get back up in his side mirror. “That was old Mr Mayner from the trailer two rows down.

“Ain’t him no more” stated Merle, bluntly. “This is nuts brother. We can’t go to the hospital! It’s gonna be overrun with these things”.

“I’m goin’ ta get her Merle. I got my bow, I got knives n’ my shotgun. Y’ can come with me or not. Say the word and I’ll stop now so y’ can get ya bike off the back of the truck”.

“The fuck bro? You’d leave me behind, for her?” asked Merle, acting hurt.

“Ain’t leavin’ ya nowhere ‘less you say the word” snapped Daryl, tired of listening to Merle’s shit while trying not to panic about Dani’s safety.

“Well ya ain’t gonna get through that hospital without ol’ Merle now are ya, ya crazy lil’ shit. Fuck boy! When did ya get crazier than me? Broads will do that to ya I guess. Make ya go nuts for love of the pussy they will. You shoulda played the field like your big bro. Ol’ Merle gets plenty o’ pussy and no one to tell me off for having a beer after work”.

Daryl sighed “Merle, you don’t work”.

Merle chuckled “Drinkin’, huntin’ and fuckin’ pussy is my work. An’ I’m the best at that shit. Should be paid to do it. Ain’t got time for no pansy-ass fuckin’ job”.

Daryl rolled his eyes but forced himself not to comment. No sense in starting an argument now. He needed his brother to help him find Dani and if the hospital was as bad as he feared, he needed him watching his back.

The hospital loomed into view then and Daryl stopped the truck, his mouth agape. “Fuck!” he gasped.

“Well that there’s some shit you don’t see every day!” muttered Merle.

King County hospital looked like a graveyard. There was a handful of those things walking around, but aside from that, there were burnt out civilian and army cars, a helicopter just sitting there with nobody around it. There were rows and rows of bodies laid out covered in sheets and the hospital itself was silent. Scorch marks from now dead fires showed around some of the windows and bullet holes littered the side of the building.

“How did this go down so fast?” he whispered in shock. “We were only gone a fuckin’ day!” 

“Somethin’ big went down here bro. Those bullet holes are from that helicopter. Looks like the army came in and tried to put everythin’ down, livin’ or dead-livin’”. Merle actually sounded serious for a change. “You sure you want ta go in there? She’s gotta be either gone or dead from the state of this shit!”

“Shut the fuck up, Merle!” growled Daryl. “I gotta check it out”.

“Fine, but y’ gotta listen’ to me in there, baby brother. Follow my lead. I been trained for shit like this, you ain’t”.

Daryl rolled his eyes. Merle had barely scraped through the army basic training, which was offered to him in lieu of a shit ton of community service. He barely made it a month in the army still stateside, before the MP’s arrested him for starting a bar fight while on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. One dishonourable discharge and six months in jail later and that was Merle’s army experience.

Still, Merle had been the one to teach him survival skills, how to hunt and track. They’d spent countless time in the wild together as he grew up, him following Merle’s lead, and he wasn’t dead yet. True Daryl reckoned he was probably a better survivalist than Merle these days, but that was because Merle was usually high and could barely tell which way was up most days.

He nodded at Merle and they both armed themselves as best they could with guns, knives, Daryl’s bow, and Merle wrapped a thick chain he normally used to chain up his bike around his waist. 

“Gotta be head shots to take these things down. If too many corner us, we’re gon’ be fucked, so keep movin’, fast and quiet. Don’t use guns unless ya have ta. Y’ got it?”

Daryl nodded “Got it”.

The main entrance to the hospital only had a couple of freaks, so the brothers slipped in fast and quiet and simultaneously took out one each with Daryl’s bow and Merle’s hunting knife. They worked their way up the central staircase to the next floor, Daryl pointing to the sign that read Post-Operative Wards, where Dani usually worked. 

Lying in the middle of the corridor was a woman in scrubs, dead, her guts ripped out and eaten. Daryl felt a wave of nausea sweep over him. Blood and guts didn’t bother him usually, but that nurse was one of Dani’s friends. Mary was a sweet woman who Dani often talked about since they worked together a lot. He tried not to look too closely at her. Her blonde hair reminded him too much of Dani. 

They passed through a set of double doors to an empty nurse’s station, and Daryl gestured to move further down. Dani’s ward was beyond this part. The doors on the wards they passed were either shut, or wide open with carnage left inside. They left the doors that were shut alone. One even had a gurney in front of it as if to block in whatever hell was inside. Daryl steered well clear of that room. 

Further down the corridor there were bullet holes in the wall with matching blood splatters.

“Executed” whispered Merle and mimed shooting a row of people standing against the wall at head height.

Daryl swallowed hard. Whoever had been shot here, the bodies had been removed. Was it infected patients, or was it staff? He thought of those rows of bodies laying under sheets outside. Would he have to look through them all to find out if she was there?

Merle whistled quietly to get Daryl’s attention back on focus and Daryl jogged to catch up with him. They went through another set of double doors and they were finally in the post op ward.

“Gotta check the rooms” whispered Daryl. “She could be in any of them”.

Merle grabbed Daryl’s wrist before he opened the first door. “Could be anythin’ in those rooms. Watch ya’self”.

Daryl nodded. Crossbow aimed at head height, he pushed the door open. A freak immediately turned and started toward him, but Daryl got him with a headshot before he could take more than a step. He stepped into the room and saw it was empty, backing out quick to try the next room. He saw Merle down the other end of the corridor and whistled quietly to get his attention. He mimed knocking on a door and listening first. If there was a freak in a room, it was likely to be attracted by the noise and start groaning or moving about. If Dani was in a closed room with one of those things, she likely was one of them herself or dead. Merle nodded and tapped gently on the next door. He put his ear against it to listen, but jumped back when a body thumped into the door from the other side.

They worked their way down the corridor, checking doors before opening them and this seemed to be working out well until one didn’t for Merle. Maybe he was too hasty to open the door, or when he tapped the freaks inside hadn’t noticed and made any noise, so when he threw open the door, one was on him immediately with two others following close behind. “Fuck!” he grunted. He dropped the first one with a knife to the skull, shoved the second one back hard so by the time the third came at him, he had his knife back and ready to drop this one too, but the second had hold of him by then and was a strong fucker, knocking him off his feet before he could retrieve his knife. He had no choice. He pulled his gun out of his waistband and shot the asshole at point-blank range.

“Merle!” whisper-yelled Daryl, running toward him.

“I’m alright!” called back Merle. Merle crawled out of the room and slammed the door shut. He threw a look of horror at his brother as he stood to face him, shaken by what had almost happened.

“Merle!” Daryl suddenly yelled, “Watch out!” he pointed behind Merle at the numerous freaks that had appeared around the corner at the top end of the corridor. They must have been drawn at the sound of the gun shot.

“Time to run, brother!” called Merle and ran towards him. They both ran back down the corridor, outpacing the freaks fairly easily. When they passed through the double doors, Merle stopped.

“Wait! Got an idea” he said. He pulled the doors shut behind him and unwrapped the chain from his waist to quickly chain the door up behind them. The freaks piled into the door on the other side, but whilst the door shifted, they couldn’t get through more than a finger or two to reach the brothers.

“Fuck!” moaned Daryl. “Maybe we can come up behind them somehow, try those last doors?”

“That’s the stupidest idea I done ever heard” growled Merle. He sighed and grabbed Daryl’s shoulder to get him to look him in the eye. “Look at me!” he said. “She’s gone, baby brother”.

“You don’t know that!” hissed Daryl, “We have to check!”

He turned to look for a way around the group, or was it a herd?, at the door, but Merle grabbed his jacket and pulled him back around.

“Y’ ain’t listenin’ t’ me. It was her. In that last room. She was turned, and I had ta put her down”.

Daryl gaped at Merle and shook his head in disbelief “No!” he moaned.

Merle nodded “I’m sorry brother” he said softly. “I wouldn’t lie about this. She’s dead”.

Daryl’s legs gave out on him all of a sudden and he dropped to the floor shaking his head. Tears streamed down his face. He was too late! If only he hadn’t gone hunting, he could’ve got here in time to save her and their baby. He knew he could. This was all his fault. Why hadn’t he been there when she needed him? She’d always been there for him! Always! How could he have left her behind when the end of the world was starting? There’d been vague news reports of a deadly virus, but he’d just teased her about making sure she washed her hands a lot. Fucking teased her! Then he’d left her. Fuck, he’d left her to get killed by these freaks and to turn into one herself. Daryl felt the bile rise up in his throat and he bent over and vomited, gasping sobbing breaths in between each gag.

“Y’ can’t go to pieces on me here lil’ brother” hissed Merle, grabbing his coat and trying to get Daryl to stand. “Could be more o’ those things coming at us with no other way out. We gotta go!”

“I can’t!” Daryl gasped “I can’t just leave her like that! I gotta bury her, I gotta!”

“An’ how in the hell can we do that? We can’t get through all those freaks!” hissed Merle. “Come on, we gotta go!”

Daryl stared miserably at the doors, ignoring Merle’s attempts to drag him to his feet. If one of them things wanted to come and finish him right now, he’d welcome it. How could he live without his Dani? Why would he even want to? And oh god, the baby too, he realised with a torturous groan. They had been so excited just a couple of weeks ago to start telling people she was having a baby. The baby they’d planned so the timing was just right… Fuck! Fuck! Daryl hit himself on the forehead, moaning. He couldn’t deal with this. Dani had been a part of his life since they were little kids, how could he live without her? She’d always been too good for him and now he’d lost her, and their baby! And it was all his own fault! Dixons didn’t deserve to have good shit in their lives. 

Merle growled in frustration at Daryl’s meltdown. “Wait, I got an idea”. He entered a room a few doors down which he’d noticed earlier was in the middle of being painted, and came out with a pot of white paint. He painted on one door “Don’t Open”, and on the other “Dead Inside”. He turned to Daryl. “Look, now she ain’t gonna be disturbed. It’s the best we can do baby brother. We gotta go. I need ya to come with me. Ain’t no point surviving without ma brother” he said. “We gotta stick together now”.

Daryl finally allowed Merle to drag him to his feet and wiped his face. He nodded, appreciating Merle’s attempt at allowing Dani a peaceful rest, even if it did read as “Don’t dead, open inside” to him. He wanted nothing more right now than to curl up and let death take him too, but he couldn’t leave Merle to die the same way he had Dani. Like it or not, he was his brother. As much as he felt like dying, Dani would want him to take care of himself and he had to watch his brother’s back in this crazy world.  
..............................................................

 

“Daryl?” the sweetest voice in the world interrupted his thoughts and he looked into his wife’s clear blue eyes as she used her fingers to smooth out his frown. “There you are” she said softly having got his attention, and Daryl smiled, dropping his forehead against hers. “Don’t relive bad memories baby” she said, “we’re together now”. Daryl nodded, pressing his lips to hers softly.

Daryl’s attention was turned to Rosie as she sighed in her sleep. He smiled softly and ached to hold her, but he knew from his interactions with Judith that it was better to leave sleeping babies at rest. They rarely woke in a good mood if woken before they were ready, and it was better to have her quietly asleep until they were back at the prison.

“She’s beautiful, baby” he whispered to Dani. “She looks just like you”.

Dani shook her head “She might look like me, but she’s all you in personality”.

Daryl snorted “Sorry” he joked.

“So where exactly are we goin’?” she asked. 

Daryl smiled, having wondered if she was ever going to ask the question or if she was content just allowing Daryl to lead her anywhere, trusting him the way she always had to just take care of her. “We’ve got a base, a home actually, set up in a prison about an hour from here”.

“A prison?” she asked. “Wasn’t it like, full of prisoners? Is it safe?”

“Of course, darlin’. We cleared out and secured most of it. We found some prisoners alive, but there’s only two left now and they’re good enough guys. Some of us have been together almost since the start, that’s our family. There’s Hershel and his daughters, Maggie and Beth. We stayed on their farm for a while before it got overrun. There’s Carol, Glenn, and Rick’s son, Carl too. We took in some people from a town nearby not too long ago. Some of them are tough like us, the rest, well I hope they learn eventually”.

He saw Dani’s eyes dart to Rick at the mention of Carl, and she already knew about Judith. Clearly, she was wondering about the kids Mom. 

Daryl sighed “We’ve lost some good people on the way too” he said softly, and Dani kissed him softly in comfort and understanding. “Have you really been on your own this whole time, darlin’?” he asked.

Dani nodded “I left the hospital when it all started goin’ to shit”. She shrugged “Survival instincts you drilled into me I guess. I didn’t want to leave my patients, but my gut was screamin’ at me to get the hell away, and fast, especially when the nice old lady I was treatin’ not five minutes before started tryin’ to eat me”.

“Where did you go?” he asked, curious. Had he passed her on his mad dash to the hospital?

“Umm” Dani flushed, “Well I had my bike in the parkin’ lot…” she began, and Daryl scowled at her. “I know! I know! I promised to take the bus til we got a car, but I just wanted one last ride before I put it aside until after the baby came. I know it was dangerous, but as it was, having the bike saved my ass. The buses weren’t runnin’ by then. And all those people stuck on the main roads tryin’ to get out of town in their cars? They got killed by walkers, but I got through. I tried to get back to our place, but it was so blocked and there were so many of those things everywhere that I couldn’t get there, so I headed for Merle’s place. I figured you might try there if you couldn’t find me at home?” Daryl nodded.

“Yeah, we tried too, but it was a burned-out mess when we got there”.

“Uh yeah, that was me” said Dani, sheepishly.

Daryl snorted “What happened?!”

“A group of walkers came through just after I got there”. She blushed “Took me about a minute to realise they’d probably followed the sound of my bike. I grabbed some food and the keys to Merle’s truck and threw some of Merle’s moonshine on his woodpile and lit it to try and distract the walkers and hope they didn’t follow the truck too. I guess the pile was too close to the house”. Dani smirked at the huff of amusement Daryl let out at the thought. 

Merle had been seriously pissed to find his place like that. The shack they’d grown up in and Merle still kept was barely standing, but it had housed all of Merle’s shit. Daryl personally had been glad to see the place he’d had to grow up in gutted like that. There were no memories of that place he ever wanted to keep. 

“I tried to go the long way around to our place, but every way I tried, I just kept getting pushed further and further out avoiding the walkers” she continued, then shrugged, “And that’s what I did. I found somewhere to hole up for a while, and scavenged supplies until I had to move on. I eventually got back to our trailer, but someone had been through all the trailers by that time and taken anythin’ worthwhile”.

“And other people?” he asked tentatively, worried why she seemed to be avoiding answering that question.

Dani grimaced “A week or so after the world went to shit, I was holed up in an apartment over a shop, I could see the main street of the town from the window. A group of people were travelling through and met another group”. She sighed. “I saw the first group trying to save themselves by offering up other people as trade. There was a gun fight and half of them died. The other half got beaten and raped until they died. Then the walkers came through, drawn by the noise and overwhelmed the rest”. She looked at Daryl sadly. “I wanted to help those women, but I couldn’t. I can handle myself, you know that. But there were too many of ‘em. The way they turned on each other” she shook her head in disbelief “I couldn’t believe humanity had gone to shit so fast, but I decided I was better off on my own”.

Daryl sighed in relief “You did good baby”. He looked sad as he glanced at the still sleeping Rosie “Did you really have her all alone?”

Dani nodded “I am a nurse you know” she said with a small smile, trying to play off how difficult it had been. 

Daryl understood that was a story for later and nodded, nuzzling her hair in comfort. It was what it was and there was nothing they could do about it now. It could have turned out so much worse. Look what had happened to Lori.

“You’re a nurse?” interrupted Rick from the driver’s seat.

“She is” nodded Daryl, proudly “Best one at the damn hospital” and Dani giggled. 

“My biggest fan” she teased him and kissed him.

“That’s great,” said Rick “not many people with medical training about these days”.

“Daryl worked his ass off day and night to put me through school” she said proudly. 

Rick snorted “Great forward planning Daryl. Was that so she could stitch you up when you fell on one of your own arrows?”

“What?!” asked Dani alarmed, and Daryl threw a glare at Rick.

“I’m fine, promise. I just got a little bit, um…”

“Thrown from a horse, tossed down a ravine, and punctured by your own arrow?” teased Rick, and Michonne chuckled.

Dani slapped Daryl’s shoulder “What the hell, Dixon?” she snapped grumpily. “I thought we had a deal you wouldn’t pull stupid shit like that anymore?”

Daryl shrugged “I was fine. I got up, killed some walkers, climbed up the damn ravine and made it back to the farm under my own steam” he said.

“Isn’t that when Andrea shot you?” chuckled Michonne, enjoying watching Daryl squirm under his wife’s scowl.

“You got shot!” screeched Dani, then quickly had to soothe Rosie’s whimpers before she woke properly and started crying.

“Shut the hell up guys!” implored Daryl. “Was just a graze, baby, look” he showed her the faint scar on his left temple. 

Rick grinned, but then sobered up as he looked in the rear-view mirror at Daryl’s glare. “In his defence Dani, he was lookin’ for a lil’ girl lost in the woods at the time”.

Dani kissed Daryl’s new scar lightly “Did ya find her?” Daryl shook his head, looking sad and Dani hugged him tight to her “I’m sorry, baby” she said.

“What hospital did you work at?” Michonne asked.

“King County” Dani replied.

“Huh” said Rick. “That’s where I was treated after I was shot”.

“You were shot too?” exclaimed Dani.

Rick nodded “Before. In the line of duty. I ended up in a coma and woke up with the entire world gone to hell and everyone I knew scattered”.

“Coma Cop? Oh my god, you’re Cute Coma Cop! I thought you looked familiar”.

“Cute?” demanded Daryl, and Michonne burst out laughing.

Dani grinned “That’s what my friend Mary called him. He was in her ward. She had a proper crush on you Rick. Said it was more than a pleasure changin’ your bandages”.

Rick ducked his head a little, embarrassed and Daryl laughed to see the tables turned on his friend. Served him right. Wait. That meant Rick would have still been in the hospital when he and Merle had gone to find Dani! 

“Oh shit” moaned Daryl. “Fuckin’ shit!”

“What?” asked Dani.

“Rick, fuck man, I’m so sorry! Shane, he once said he put somethin’ in front of your hospital room door, right? To stop the walkers gettin’ at ya?”

“Yeah, there was a gurney outside it when I left”.

“Fuck!” exclaimed Daryl. “Man, I walked right passed your room when I was looking for Dani. I thought someone was trying to keep the dead freaks in, not keep them out, so I never opened the door”.

“Jesus!” said Rick, shocked, then he shrugged “I was still out though. Y’ probably would’ve had to just leave me behind anyway. But woah, wait a minute. Did you and Merle chain those walkers up behind the double doors?”

“Don’t dead, open inside” both Rick and Daryl said simultaneously and laughed.

“Merle’s a stupid asshole” sighed Daryl, shaking his head.

“Small world” said Rick disbelievingly. “But you probably saved my life, chaining up those doors. I was in shock and weak as a kitten when I woke up. I couldn’t have fought off any walkers the state I was in, and you two chaining up that door is probably the reason I got out of the hospital alive”.

Daryl raised an eyebrow “Huh. Where does that put our score for savin’ each other’s asses?” he said, continuing a long running joke Rick had always perpetrated, but Daryl hadn’t joined in before. “It’s gotta count more if I did it before I even knew ya, right?” 

Rick burst out laughing, overjoyed to hear Daryl finally joining in his joke after all this time. It was nice to know his humour had been appreciated all along by the formerly surly man.

“I dunno” he laughed. “I gotta get back and check my tally chart”.

Before long they were pulling up to the prison gates which were hurriedly thrown open and closed again as soon as the car had passed through.

Rick saw the small group of Woodburians making their way to the area they usually unloaded the cars. It had become a bit of a habit that people gathered to see what the run crews had brought back to the group, particularly the people from Woodbury. The family understood that sometimes it was better to give those returning from a run a bit of space to readjust to being behind safe walls again. New people were always met with both happiness and apprehension, but at least Dani and Rosie would look unthreatening. In one way at least.

“Dani, just so ya know. Daryl’s a bit of a celebrity around here. I think there’s gonna be some broken hearts when they realise he’s taken”.

“Shut up, Rick” grumbled Daryl, embarrassed. Seriously Rick had been trying to tease him for weeks that the women from Woodbury were coming on to him, but he didn’t believe it. Why would any of them come on to a Dixon? Let alone a scarred, barely emotionally functioning Dixon? He didn’t realise that a man who could provide and protect in this world was worth a million rich business men or suave lady’s men. 

Dani raised her eyebrow at her husband “Do I need to beat anybody down?” she asked, semi-seriously.

Daryl snorted “Not likely” he smirked “But I’ll let ya know”.

The car pulled to a stop and they all got out, Daryl leaning back in to gently lift Rosie out of her car seat, the little angel waking and peering blearily up at the man holding her. She looked around quickly for her Mom “Mama?” she said, a note of panic in her voice. She had rarely seen another person, let alone been held by one in all her short memory. Now this big man had held her twice, and her Mama wasn’t right next to her this time. Dani quickly took Rosie from Daryl’s arms before she became too upset.

“It’s okay baby” she cooed. “Mama’s here”. She shot an apologetic look at Daryl. “She’s just got to get to know you”.

Daryl was sad that his little girl didn’t know him, but understood. He shook his head “T’s okay. She don’t know me yet, but she will”. He put his arm around Dani and looked down at Rosie with a soft smile for the little girl, happy when she didn’t seem upset by his proximity as long as her Mom was holding her. “She’s talkin’ already?” he asked, proud. He didn’t know much when babies were meant to talk, but it seemed early to him.

Dani smiled “She babbles mostly, but Mama is pretty clear already”.

Daryl smiled widely and took Rosie’s hand, stroking it softly so as not to alarm her “That’s coz you a clever lil’ girl, ain’t ya darlin’?” he cooed at her.

Dani grinned at their interaction, beyond happy that her little girl was going to have her Daddy in her life after all. She couldn’t imagine anyone would make a better Daddy for her. Her eyes filled with tears and one tracked slowly down her cheek.

“Hey” said Daryl, softly and wiped a tear away. “What’s this?”

“Happy tears baby” said Dani and leaned in to kiss him.

Neither of them had noticed the crowd gathered around them, nor the collective gasp of the women as Dani kissed Daryl, but Rick and Michonne had. Michonne gestured to Rick the looks the little family were now receiving, and not all were totally friendly. 

Rick frowned and approached the couple. He pulled Dani’s backpack from the car. “Daryl why don’t you go get your wife and Rosie settled in?” he said, emphasising the word to clarify Dani’s position quickly to the Woodburians. “Plenty of hands here to help unload”.

Daryl glanced at Rick and nodded, taking the backpack, and shouldering his crossbow before taking Dani’s hand and leading her to C Block. “Let’s go introduce ya to the family” he said.

As he walked passed the watchtower outside C Block, he shouted “Glenn! Hey, Glenn!”

Glenn’s head immediately popped out of the watchtower door. Glenn had only ever heard Daryl’s voice raised when he was angry, and so he was worried what he could have done to raise the other man’s ire. To his surprise though, Daryl didn’t seem particularly angry and had an unfamiliar woman stood with him.

“Get someone to cover ya and get the family to C? I got someone for y’all to meet”.

Glenn nodded, bewildered. “O-okay” he stuttered.

Dani smirked at Daryl and whispered “Why did that poor man look so scared of you?” she asked.

Daryl shrugged “Guess I can be a bit intimidatin’ when I’m in a bad mood” he said, sheepishly. He’d always tried to stay honest with her, and didn’t want that to change. Now he had his Dani back he was beginning to be able to breathe a bit and see beyond his own grief. Daryl was starting to realise how difficult he must have been to be around since the end of the world. He really needed to lighten up on Glenn. It wasn’t Glenn’s fault that his and Maggie’s new-found love was so hard on Daryl.

He led her into C Block “This is where me an’ the close family stay. The people from Woodbury stay in Block D” he explained. He led her in to find Hershel and Carol looking over a medical text book and Beth pacing with a fussy Judith. Daryl immediately approached Beth.

“Hey, what’s going on with Lil’ Asskicker?” he said.

Beth shot a confused look at Dani but answered “She’s cuttin’ a new tooth”.

Daryl nodded “We got some teethin’ gel. Rick’ll bring it up in a minute” he told the teenager.

Daryl took Judith from Beth and brought her back to meet Dani, smiling at how Judith calmed down as soon as Daryl held her.

“Hey Judy, I brought you a lil friend to play with” he said softly. “This is Rosie. You guys are gonna be like sisters”.

“This is Rick’s Judith?” asked Dani and Daryl nodded with a smile. “She’s such a cutie!”

Daryl smiled “She’s our Lil’ Asskicker” he said.

Dani snorted “I can guess who gave her that nickname” she laughed.

Daryl heard a clearing of a throat and turned to look at Carol and Hershel, the former standing with her arms crossed and eyebrow raised.

“Who the hell is this?” asked Carl, entering the block with Glenn.

Daryl frowned at the boy. Carl seemed to be in perpetual teen grump mode lately, but he guessed after what they’d been through, any stranger near the family, especially his little sister, was cause for alarm.

“This is Rick’s son, Carl” he told Dani and to Carl he said “Jus’ wait. I’m gonna tell everyone at the same time. Don’ wanna keep repeatin’ myself”.

Carl shrugged, but took Judith from Daryl, uncomfortable with having her near the stranger, and went to sit with Beth.

“Good to see you back, Pookie” said Carol. She arched an eyebrow at Dani briefly. “Good run?” she asked.

Daryl nodded and threw a smirk at Dani “Y’ could say that” he agreed.

“Pookie?” grinned Dani and Daryl blushed.

“She’s just razzin’ me” he muttered.

Just then Maggie entered the dining area too with a smile “Hey, what’s goin’ on? Rick n’ Michonne told me to get my ass over here. An’ who’s this?” she asked.

Daryl couldn’t hold back a big smile now the last member of the family was here. “This” he said, putting his arm around Dani “is my wife, Dani, and our daughter, Rosie”.

There was a beat of silence before the sounds of exclamations erupted and questions started flying at him.

“What the hell Pookie!” cried Carol finally. “How did you get married on a run?”

Daryl snorted “Me n’ Dani got married when we were eighteen, not today” he said. “I jus’ found her today”.

“Oh my god!” exclaimed Maggie, a hand over her mouth. She walked over and threw her arms around the pair. “That’s amazing, Daryl!” she said, excitedly. “It’s so nice to meet you, Dani. And Rosie” she added, touching Rosie’s hair.

Everyone else joined in congratulating Daryl, and greeting Dani and Rosie then, and Daryl introduced his new family to Dani.

After an hour of filling in some very missing details in Daryl’s life, the family started drifting back to their jobs, while Daryl led Dani upstairs to his cell.

“I sleep out on the perch usually” he said, “but kept my stuff in here. Now you’re here though, we’re gonna need a bit more privacy than the perch” he explained.

Dani looked around his cell and shrugged “Barely looks lived in” she commented.

Daryl shrugged and drew her into his arms, careful not to squash Rosie. He kissed Dani’s temple “I didn’t have any reason to live without ya” he said softly, and Dani gasped, putting a hand to his cheek. Daryl shrugged “I kept goin’ for Merle, an’ then for Rick an’ the others, but it weren’t livin’”.

Dani’s eyes welled with tears “I’m here baby” she said softly. “We’re here. We ain’t gonna be separated again, okay? I know this world is shit, but we’ve gotta make it better. For us, and for Rosie’s future too”.

Daryl nodded “I know darlin’, and I can now ya with me” he said and kissed her again softly. The kiss turned into a longer, deeper kiss, the need beginning to rise to reconnect their relationship. But romantic reunions would have to wait as Rosie made her presence known.

“Mama. Mama. Mama” she repeated and smacked her lips.

Daryl snorted, breaking the kiss. “You want a kiss too, darlin’?” he asked and kissed her soft, downy hair.

Dani giggled and kissed their daughter too before correcting Daryl “She’s hungry” she said with a grin. “You hungry baby?” she asked and Rosie made “nom nom” noises while smacking her lips, making her parents smile.

“Why don’t you go down and get something to eat for her darlin’?” asked Daryl “I’ll start unpackin’ ya stuff”.

Dani did so and found some food for Rosie with Carol’s help. The two women sat getting to know each other somewhat warily, but with increasing ease. Daryl came passed at one point and asked her to stay down a bit longer to let him finish sorting their cell, then went to grab one of the travel cots they’d brought back for Rosie. Some time later, Dani heard Daryl call her up to their cell. Carol offered to keep Rosie for a while and finish feeding her and after a moment’s hesitation, Dani agreed.

Dani smiled widely as she entered. Daryl had rearranged the cell to include her and Rosie’s things, including some new blankets from the baby store on the bed Daryl’s belongings put away under the bed, tidily. He’d made up Rosie’s travel cot with soft blankets and a plush lion toy he’d also picked up in the store. The room had begun to look like their room, not just a storage closet.

Dani threw her arms around Daryl and hugged him tight. “It looks so much better already!” she exclaimed.

Daryl grinned “And better still…” he said, and pulled across a newly installed privacy blanket over the cell’s bars.

Dani smirked and pressed herself closer to him “And why do we need that?” she teased.

Daryl leaned in close to her lips “Because baby, when I kiss the hell outta ya, I don’t need no fuckin’ gawkers” he said in a raspy tone and closed the distance between their lips, taking her mouth in a deep, desperate kiss. 

They moaned as they pressed together, and Dani wrapped her arms around Daryl’s neck, burying her fingers in his hair. Oh God, she’d missed his arms around her, his body against hers. She pulled him backwards and down on to the bed where he lay fully on top of her, plundering her mouth with his tongue, and running his hands over her wherever he could reach. She whimpered into his kiss and wrapped her legs around his hips, holding him to her tightly, loving the feel of her husband on top of her again, finally.

Daryl kissed down her neck while they caught a breath “I missed ya so much, Dani” he whispered. “So much”.

“I missed you too, Daryl” she sighed, loving the feel of him sucking lightly at her skin. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this again. Ever feel you again” she whispered.

“I tried not to think about you while I was awake darlin’, I couldn’t keep goin’ if I did. But at night. Darlin’ at night, you came to me in my dreams”. He licked around her collar bone, then up behind her ear the way he knew she liked it.

“Was I bendy?” Dani whispered with a simultaneous breathy giggle and moan.

Daryl groaned and pressed his hardened cock against her, making her gasp. “You know you were” he agreed. “Bendy, and naked, and so fuckin’ wet f’ me”.

Dani gasped and thrust her hips up against his, feeling his cock press through their clothes where she needed it. She whimpered “Need you baby”.

Daryl grunted and slid a hand under her ass to help her grind against him, muffling his moans into her mouth as he kissed her again. He could feel it building. It had been such a long time for him, he wasn’t sure he could hold it back long enough to get her off too, so he concentrated his thrusts into the moves which brought the best sounds from her lips. 

He broke the kiss, gasping for breath against her as she whimpered. “Fuck, baby” he moaned. “‘T’s been so long. I need ya. Y’ need t’ cum for me darlin’”.

Dani gasped and bit his lower lip gently. “God Daryl. I need ya inside me. I need to… Oh!” Dani gasped as Daryl, with a soft growl, all but ripped her jeans open and shoved his hand into her underwear, pushing two thick fingers deep inside her, curving them up to press unerringly against her g-spot as he continued to grind his cock against her hip.

“Daryl!” she whispered urgently, lost in sensation. “Daryl, Daryl!”

Daryl could feel her about to lose control. He knew her body as well as his own by now and by the tensing of her muscles and her breathless gasps, he knew she was right there and he ground the heel of his hand against her clit. “Tha’s it darlin’, cum for me baby. Let me feel it”.

“Daryl! Oh!” she gasped and her back bowed with the force of her orgasm.

Daryl moaned. The feeling of the fluttering of her pussy around his fingers and watching the pleasure on her face made him lose control and he grunted as quietly as he could as he came too, his head spinning with the sensation. After, he pulled his fingers carefully from her and sucked her juices off of them, his eyes rolling back in delight at her flavour as he collapsed next to her on the bed.

Dani rolled over and pressed herself against his side, her head on his shoulder as her arm and leg wrapped around him. She watched him licking her off his fingers and flushed.

“I missed how you do that” she whispered, kissing his scruffy jawline softly.

“I missed tasting ya” he whispered back, before turning to kiss her gently. He broke the kiss to whisper “I’m gonna taste ya again later baby. That okay?”

“God, yeah” she sighed, nodding against him. “Isn’t it bed time yet?” she asked.

Daryl snorted “It’s barely dinner time. Let’s go eat, an’ I want to spend time with Rosie. But later, when she’s asleep darlin’, you’re all mine!”

Dani giggled “I can’t wait”.

Daryl smirked and kissed her again, dipping his tongue into her mouth, sharing her flavour and felt her shiver of desire. It had always been like this between them. He’d loved her from the day he met her at the age of five, and she’d assured him she’d loved him just as long. That love had changed and grown over the years from the bonds of simple childhood friendship, to best friends and once passed the awkward teenage puberty years, it had matured into a pure and also physical love, where they’d struggled to keep their hands off each other. The chemistry between them was electric. There had never been anyone else for either of them. 

Daryl had struggled horribly with his self-esteem and confidence growing up, having suffered years of physical and verbal abuse at the hands of his father. Both his internal and external scars were deep. He’d never understood why Dani had wanted him that way, but want him she clearly did, and he trusted her like he trusted no other person in his life. She was the one person who’d always been good to him in his entire life, no matter what, and if that didn’t earn all of his trust, nothing would. 

He’d vowed early on in their sexual relationship to learn how he could make her melt with his touch, to always leave her satisfied and to never be a selfish lover. Despite his shyness, he’d made sure they were both comfortable enough to talk about what they liked or didn’t and what they wanted from each other, both in the bedroom and out. He’d seen and heard enough of other people’s bad sex lives to know how selfish lovers who didn’t talk to each other ended up. As a result, their sex life had always been incredible and heart-stopping and their need for each other hadn’t diminished at all in all the years they’d been making love. Some days it was all they could do to keep their hands to themselves.

The sounds of Rosie starting to fuss reached them and they sighed ruefully, breaking their kiss with a smile.

“C’mon” said Daryl, his voice gravelly “Let’s go eat”.

Dani smirked “I thought you were doing that later?” she teased and giggled as he groaned, while she stood and re-fastened her jeans.

He stood behind her and pulled her back to him as he whispered in her ear “That’s dessert”.

Dani giggled and pulled away. She turned and kissed him briefly, then watched with a grin as he tried to clean the mess up in his pants, giving up and just changing them for his spare pair.

“I’m gonna have to wash those myself” he said. “Carol will never let me hear the end of it”. Dani giggled and took him by the hand to lead him back down the stairs to Rosie. Dani took her baby from Carol with a smile.

“Hey sweetpea, did you wonder where I was? I’m sorry baby” she murmured as she cuddled Rosie to her. She turned to Carol “I’m sorry if she was any bother. She’s not used to being with anyone but me”.

Carol shook her head with a smile “She’s no bother at all. I’m sure it won’t take her long to get used to all of us”. Carol looked at Daryl and smirked “You okay Pookie?” she asked mischievously. “Did you have an accident?"

Daryl frowned “No, why?” he asked.

“Haven’t seen you change your pants during the day ‘less they were covered in guts. Sometimes not even then” she said with a knowing grin.

Daryl smirked and rolled his eyes at Carol “Shut up” he said succinctly and turned to Dani and Rosie pointedly, ignoring Carol’s snicker.

“Hi babygirl” he said softly to Rosie. “Let me hold her f’ a bit?” he asked. Dani smiled tenderly and passed Rosie over. Daryl sat on the bench with Rosie facing him in his lap. “Hello beautiful” he said gently “Did you have a nice dinner?” he asked Rosie. Rosie smiled and started babbling at Daryl animatedly, patting him with her hands as she chatted and then tugging on his beard. Daryl grinned at her “Oh you got a lot to say, huh?” he asked and chuckled when Rosie looked thrilled with his response and babbled even more enthusiastically.

Dani giggled “I’ll just let you two get to know each other while I grab us some of Carol’s squirrel stew”. She went over to the pot bubbling on the camping stove to the side of the room and served up two bowls of the stew as Carol had told her to do. Dani had felt odd taking food she hadn’t had a hand in providing or cooking, but Carol assured her that Daryl had gathered most of the ingredients and hunted the squirrels too, so it was more than okay. Dani knew she’d be helping to provide as soon as she could anyway. As she turned around with the bowls she stopped suddenly. Every member of the family that was in the room was staring at Daryl with his daughter in utter bemusement. She sidled over to Carol. “Why’s everyone staring at Daryl?” she whispered.

Carol looked at her, emotion welling in her eyes and shrugged “We’ve never seen him so animated before” she whispered back. “You don’t understand Dani. Daryl was a different person before. He protected and provided for us, but we were lucky to get a word or two out of him a day, and I’m not sure any of us have really seen him smile before, let alone laugh”.

Dani’s heart ached at the news. Despite Daryl’s strong emotional defences and occasional abrasiveness against the world due to the way he was treated as he was growing up, he had always been inherently sweet natured. It was part of the reason Merle often called him Darleena. It hurt to hear that her sweet man was so withdrawn without her. Of course, if she hadn’t had Rosie and the vague sense of hope that Daryl was likely still alive, she wasn’t sure she would have coped any better.

She looked over at Daryl who now had Rosie on her feet, holding tight to her hands as she toddled around the room. The smile on his face was both proud and delighted as he praised his little girl for doing so well. She smiled at Carol and gestured to Daryl “Well it looks like you’re going to see at least some of the Daryl I know from now on” she said, and Carol nodded, clasping Dani’s hand briefly in agreement.

She sat down at the table and Daryl came to sit with her, Rosie planted firmly on his knee as he ate. He fed Rosie sips of his stew every now and then whenever she smacked her lips, which he understood was her way of asking for some.

As they ate, the family began to ask questions about the couple and the pair answered as best they could. Dani began to get to know the group and enjoyed how close they seemed and how much they cared about Daryl. She was instantly brought within the inner circle, just because of who she was and what she meant to Daryl. She intended to make herself as useful as possible, and to do her part for the group. Hershel was overjoyed to have someone else on the team with medical training. He’d been teaching Carol what he could being a veterinarian, and of course they now had Dr Subramanian, but with her there too, maybe they could train more people up too.

Dani eyed up the camping stove for a moment, considering. “Could we maybe heat up some water for Rosie to have a bath?” she asked Daryl. “It’s been such a long time since she had more than a quick wipe over, I’m sure she’d love it”.

“That’s a great idea” said Rick, overhearing. “It’s passed time Judith had a bath too! We’ll use the water after you”.

“I’ll get the water for you” offered Glenn, and Maggie jumped up to help.

Dani sat looking slightly bemused.

“What?” asked Daryl.

She shrugged with a small smile “I’m just so used to doing everything for myself, and for Rosie, it feels strange having people around again to help. I feel kinda useless!”

Daryl leaned over Rosie to kiss her “Ya got a big family now darlin’. Y’ don’t have to do it all on your own anymore”.

“I’m not complainin’” Dani laughed “It’s just gonna take a bit to get used to it”.

Carol patted Dani’s shoulder as she passed “Just remember all this help and company when you are fed up with the lack of privacy”. She shrugged with a smile “I guess there’s pros and cons to all families”.

Dani watched as Glenn and Maggie came back with a couple of buckets of water and Beth dropped towels and baby soap on the table and grinned “More pros than cons I reckon”.

“Say that later when you realise you and Daryl have to be real quiet in your alone time, coz sound travels in here like you wouldn’t believe” whispered Maggie leaning in to the couple.

“Mags, you two ain’t that quiet” smirked Daryl. He and Dani both laughed as she rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue at him.

“See if I tell ya about all the other places y’ can go without gettin’ disturbed now” she teased.

“Y’ mean the south watchtower?” asked Daryl, knowing it was a favourite of Maggie and Glenn’s to go to.

“The laundry room” chimed in Carol smirking.

“That office in A Block” laughed Rick.

“Generator room!” called over Beth.

“I do not think I need to be hearing this” muttered Hershel. “I’m going to read in my room”.

The group laughed heartily at Maggie and Glenn’s blushes.

“Yeah well, see if we try an’ be sensitive ‘bout you lot hearin’ stuff anymore” teased Maggie.

“Please do” called Hershel from his cell and the others laughed again.

“Sorry Daddy!” called Maggie, blushing.

Glenn leaned over to whisper in her ear and she giggled and let him lead her from the room. She looked back and waved to the others with a wide grin.

“Water’s ready” said Beth a while later and Rick poured the buckets into the baby bath they’d picked up that day.

“Bath time babygirl!” said Daryl and kissed Rosie’s cheek as he lifted her to lay her on the changing mat. Daryl efficiently stripped Rosie, removing her diaper without a flinch.

“Wow, you’re like an expert at this already” smiled Dani.

“Daryl’s given Judith lots of baths. He’s her favourite” said Rick.

Daryl just shrugged then smiled at Rosie as he lifted her little naked body into his arms “Ready lil’ one?” he asked “You gonna splash Daddy?”

“She’s gonna soak Daddy” laughed Dani.

Daryl double checked the water temperature before carefully lowering Rosie to sit in the water, keeping one hand to her back for safety. Rosie looked a little uncertain for a moment before she squealed and started to thrash her arms creating a tsunami of water over Daryl. The group laughed at Daryl’s sudden drowned rat appearance. Daryl pushed his wet hair back out of his face and laughed too. “Well done babygirl. Look how good ya got me!”

Dani thought her heart would melt watching Daryl interact with Rosie. For a man who’d had no experience with babies before Judith, he was a total natural. As much as she’d always known Daryl liked kids, it had taken a long time to convince him that he could be a father. It was gratifying to see just how easy it came to him though.

After her bath, Daryl dried Rosie off and redressed her in a soft onesie Dani had given him. She prepared a small bottle of formula for her too and passed it to Daryl.

“She still likes a little milk before bed” she told him.

Daryl watched Rosie’s eyes start to droop as she drank her milk and smiled at Dani. “She’s nearly out” he said.

“Why don’t ya put her down in Judith’s bed while you show Dani where to clean up? I’m sure she’d like a shower, even if you ain’t too bothered about washing up now Rosie bathed you” grinned Rick.

Daryl nodded “T’s a good idea” he said.

“You don’t mind watchin’ her?” asked Dani.

“Course not” said Rick, elbows deep in Judith’s bath water with her. “Go. Shower. Get clean. Have a few minutes to yourself, whatever” he said and shot Daryl a sly grin. If anyone deserved time alone with their spouse, it was Daryl and Dani. 

Daryl lay Rosie down in Judith’s crib, hoping she wouldn’t wake as Judith sometimes did when you tried to lay her down. She stayed asleep, thankfully. He met Dani coming down the stairs with their shower things. “She’s asleep, didn’t even wake up when I put her down” he said.

Dani smiled “She’s a good sleeper. She probably won’t wake all night now. Even when we move her upstairs”.

“Good” nodded Daryl, hating the thought his girl would wake scared while he and Dani weren’t there. He looked to Rick “Come get me if she does though, right?”

“You know I will” agreed Rick.

Daryl led Dani to the shower block. They’d rigged up a shower curtain system to afford everyone more privacy than the communal showers they’d had to have before. As it happened, there was no one in the shower room as they entered, and Daryl led Dani over to the far corner. “This showers’ got the best pressure” he said. “Y’ have t’ pump it for a few seconds, then turn it on. ‘T’s cold, but y’ can get clean at least”. He backed up a pace or two and gestured behind him “I’ll use this one” he said.

“You’re not showerin’ with me?” she asked, looking hurt.

Daryl smiled shyly “Didn’t want to assume ya wanted me to” he said. “’T’s been a long time since we were naked together”.

Dani smiled. “My sweet Daryl” she whispered, taking his hand and pulling him back to her. She put a hand to the back of his neck and urged his lips close to hers “Of course I want to shower with you baby. I’ve been dreaming about this for almost eighteen months. I need you”.

Daryl rubbed the tip of his nose against hers “I love you” he whispered, then kissed her softly, drawing her lip in between his to suck on it gently. His fingers played for a moment in the hem of her t-shirt before he pulled it up and over her head. 

He groaned dramatically at the sight of her generous breasts encased in a worn bra and buried his face between them with a sigh.

Dani giggled caressing the back of his head “Have you missed them, baby?” she teased.

Daryl nodded and said a muffled “Yeah” into her skin.

“Y’know y’ can get a better look if you take my bra off”.

Daryl groaned again and lifted his head to look at her. “I feel like a fuckin’ teenager. Gonna go off like a rocket just feelin’ yer tits”.

Dani giggled “Awe baby, that’s okay. You ain’t let me down yet”.

Daryl snorted and rose to kiss her again, stripping off his angel wings cutte before undoing her jeans. They pulled apart to finish stripping their own clothes, their eyes drinking each other’s nakedness in. Daryl stepped toward her, smoothed a hand over her bare hip and kissed her softly.

“Ya so beautiful Dani” he whispered.

“So are you” whispered Dani as she wrapped her arms around his waist, sighing in delight at the feel of his hot bare skin pressed against hers.

Daryl sighed, wrapping his arms around her tight before pressing another light kiss to her lips.

He pulled back slightly and reached out for the pump with one arm. “This ain’t gettin’ us clean” he smirked and pumped the handle several times. “Ready? ‘Member ‘t’s cold”.

Dani nodded, then squealed as he turned the water on, making him chuckle.

“Shit!” she exclaimed. “So much for romantic shower sex!”

Daryl laughed “Ya get used to it” he said.

They showered quickly together, enjoying washing each other down despite the chill. 

“I thought cold water stopped this from happening?” asked Dani, cheekily wrapping her hand around his erect cock.

Daryl groaned at her touch. “Nothin’s gonna make this go down while y’ naked in front a’ me Dani”

Dani smiled sultrily as she pumped her hand up and down his shaft a few times making him grunt, his jaw slack as he leaned into her, feeling weak at the sensation.

“Dani, fuck baby. I ain’t had ya hand on me in so long darlin’. Feels so fuckin’ good”.

Dani moaned. She just loved to make him lose his mind with her touch. She moved forward to make sure the tips of her breasts rubbed against his chest as still she pumped him, knowing he wouldn’t be able to resist touching them. Her Daryl was a real breast man. 

Daryl groaned, and his hands immediately came up to cover her breasts, caressing them urgently, squeezing her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers the way he knew she liked, and feeling heat shoot through him at her whimper of delight. Suddenly she dropped to her knees in front of him and he looked down at her, momentarily confused by the lack of breasts in his hands.

Dani looked up at him from her knees and smirked “Time for my dessert” she said and leaned in to suck his cock deep into her mouth in one go.

“Ungh! Dani!” cried Daryl. He desperately thrust one hand into her hair to keep her on him and the other to the shower wall to keep himself upright. His eyes blazed as they looked down at her, her lips stretched around his girth and her eyes on his. He moaned helplessly as she took him deep again and again, utterly speechless aside from unintelligible grunts and moans. He noticed the hand that wasn’t wrapped around him worked her own pussy frantically. Doing this for him had always been a huge turn on for her and she clearly needed to get off. He could hear the slick sounds of both her pussy and her mouth as she worked them both to a frenzy and it tipped him over the edge. “Dani, I’m gonna…” he managed to say before his climax exploded and his cum spurted down her throat as she greedily swallowed him down, moaning her delight. 

“Fuuuuuck baby!” he moaned as he came down. He forced his eyes open again and looked down as she let him slip from her mouth. Her hand still worked desperately between her legs as she clung to him.

He bent down and pulled her to her feet, wrapping an arm around her, he took her mouth in a deep kiss as two of his thick fingers penetrated her and began thrusting immediately. It took only a few seconds before she cried out into his mouth and her pussy clamped down on his fingers pulsing with her orgasm. She broke the kiss panting into his mouth as her body slowly relaxed against his. Eventually she came back to herself and looked up at him with a slow smile.

“It’s not so cold now” she joked, and he snorted with mirth.

“We ain’t feelin’ it, but it’s really fuckin’ cold. Come on, better dry off before you freeze”. He switched off the water and grabbed a towel to wrap around her, noting that her skin really was icy, despite the heat they generated between them. He rubbed the towel over her arms briskly. “Gotta warm you up” he said in a rough, low tone. “I ain’t gonna lose you to hyperthermia now”.

Dani had grabbed the other towel and returned the favour “I ain’t losin’ you either baby” she said. “Only way to truly warm up now is body heat. We should go get into bed”.

Daryl smirked “Y’ only want me for one thing”.

“Daryl baby, you know me so well” she teased, and he laughed, pulling her into his arms again. She kissed him and sighed “Jokes aside baby, I really do need you. It’s been so long since you’ve been inside me”.

Daryl groaned and took her mouth in a deep, drugging kiss. “Shit” he sighed, feeling himself starting to twitch back to hardness. “I can’t walk through the cell block with that goin’ on. Come on darlin’ let’s go, ‘kay?”

They dressed quickly after drying off sufficiently and walked back to Block C. Daryl took their things while Dani thanked Rick for watching Rosie and went to collect her.

“No problem” said Rick with a smile. “Happy to do it”.

Dani lifted Rosie out of the crib where she was cuddled up to Judith. Both babies wriggled a little, disturbed by the sudden lack of body contact, but didn’t awake. She bid Rick goodnight and carried Rosie up to their cell. Daryl came over and pressed a gentle kiss on Rosie’s head before allowing Dani to lay her down in her new crib. The little one stirred only slightly as she turned to get into a more comfortable position, then settled down again.

Daryl pulled the curtain closed over the cell door and moved closer to Dani with intent. He took her mouth again in a deep kiss, his tongue thrusting and duelling with hers. He broke the kiss, eyes full of desire for her again.

“Time for my dessert now” he whispered. 

They stripped each others’ clothes and slid under the blankets, Daryl laying on top of Dani, propped up on his strong arms. “D’ y’ think y’ can be quiet?” he asked, pecking a soft kiss to her lips.

Dani nodded “Yeah, I can” she whispered back, then gasped as Daryl leaned down and sucked one of her nipples deep into his mouth, a look of ecstasy on his face as he flicked her nipple with his tongue deep in his mouth. He switched to the other nipple, not wanting to leave it out and giving it equal attention before sliding down her body again, pressing kisses here and there on his way. He looked up at her for a moment, blue eyes dark with lust, then roughly parted her legs and immediately sank his tongue deep into her pussy, muffling his moan into her.

Dani’s back bowed at the sensation and she shoved the side of her hand into her mouth to stop herself from crying out. She panted through her nose as her teeth held onto the fleshy part of her thumb, her other hand gripped tightly in the bed covers. Her hips began to thrust against Daryl’s mouth as he alternated thrusting his tongue inside her and then circling her clit with the tip. As her excitement grew, Dani pulled the hand from her mouth to bury in Daryl’s hair.

She desperately tried to stay silent as she mouthed his name over and over, but a few whispers escaped. She could feel her climax coming, but wanted nothing more than Daryl inside her when she came this time. She grabbed his wide shoulders and tugged, asking him to come to her.

“Want you. Want you!” she whispered desperately.

Their eyes locked, Daryl bit his lip to stop his groan as his once again throbbing cock rubbed against her wet entrance. He grabbed the bedclothes either side of her head, needing to hold on to something but fearing he would be too rough with her skin right now. Dani grabbed his biceps and lifted her hips, nodding frantically. She thrust up as he pushed in right to the hilt and their mouths met urgently trying to stifle that first join glorious moan. Once he was inside her, he immediately began to thrust fast and hard. The sensations were utterly overwhelming for Dani after being so close to the edge from his mouth on her, and she seized up around him in a powerful climax, her eyes rolling into back. Her pussy clenched down on him so hard he could barely move, and he whimpered with her at the tightness as she came. She broke the kiss panting as she came down and as her body started to loosen around him, he started to move again, unable to help himself and give her a minute to recover. She felt done at first, totally satisfied and feeling that afterglow lethargy, but the more he thrust, the higher the fire started building inside her again and she wrapped her legs around his hips.

“Daryl, oh God!” she whisper-moaned. 

“I know, baby” he whispered back before kissing her deeply. He broke the kiss suddenly, and wrapped his arms around her as he knelt back and pulled her upright onto his lap. He was as deep as he possibly could be in her, nudging her cervix at every slow grind of their bodies together. She gasped at the sensation and both her hands gripped at his hair, tugging at the strands and making him moan. He began to thrust up sharply into her, making her want to scream each time at the sparks that fired through her.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!” she mouthed against his ear as she bounced on him and sobbed at the feelings he was forcing into her. She latched her mouth onto his neck to stop her noises and moaned at the deliciousness of his skin. Her head then fell back as she gasped his name.

“Dani!” he whispered urgently before pushing her back down on to the bed and lifting one of her legs over his shoulder, pumping frantically into her.

Each thrust hit her g-spot and rubbed against her highly sensitive clitoris and she felt herself falling again. She gasped three times then held her breath as she fell over the edge. Daryl pushed three of his fingers into her mouth as he watched her go over, knowing she badly wanted to scream. She whined and sucked hard on his fingers as her climax exploded. Feeling her body cumming around his again was too much for Daryl and his own orgasm exploded out of him with a gasp and a groan, quickly muffled against her leg still over his shoulder. They panted together as they came down and the tension left their bodies. He lowered her leg as he lay flush against her and they kissed gently, lovingly as their racing hearts calmed, exchanging whispered vows of love.

Eventually he softened and slipped out of her, laying behind her and pulling her into his strong embrace as they began to doze.

“We can make a home here can’t we Daryl? The three of us and the others?” whispered Dani, sleepily.

“Anywhere you are is my home baby, but yeah, we can. We’re survivors and we can make a life here”. He kissed the back of her head sleepily. “Sleep now darlin’, we’ll start tomorrow”.


End file.
